To snack or not to snack & clean eating?!

SarahMZxx

Hi everyone,

I have been trying this whole "clean eating" thing. I've lost a bit of weight but to be honest I feel it isn't that easy to stick to. I work really long hours...up at 5am...not home until 7.30pm/8pm and we currently don't really have anywhere to cook (living with OH's family - long story).

So for us it is normally easier to grab stuff on the go if that makes sense? I was wondering if i eat 3 meals a day...i.e. low sugar museli for breakfast, sandwich and piece of fruit for lunch, then salad/soup/something quick for dinner...would be ok to lose weight? I just find the whole concept of eating clean and eating smaller meals more often really hard to stick to!!

I also eat out quite a lot at weekends or round friends houses so i find it harder to stick to anything at the weekend.

Help please! Thank you! xxx

Stage14

You certainly don't have to snack, your body doesn't really care when you eat your calories, so do what is best for you. And you don't have to eat clean to lose weight. Weightloss is burning more calories in a day than you consume. It's easier to maintain good nutrition with a cleaner diet, but you can absolutely lose weight without it.

nomeejerome

If losing weight is your goal, a calorie deficit is all that is needed to achieve it. (and can be done with all types of foods) Meal timing is personal preference, so eat at times that work for your schedule.

TavistockToad

If losing weight is your goal, a calorie deficit is all that is needed to achieve it. (and can be done with all types of foods) Meal timing is personal preference, so eat at times that work for your schedule.

this

JesterMFP

Neither "eating clean" (however you personally choose to define that) nor eating small frequent meals are necessary for weight loss. Meal timing can have an influence on how well you stick to your diet (different folks have different preferences) or may have an impact on keeping your blood sugar levels stable if you are diabetic. Nothing to do with weight loss though. Eating clean is also not necessary. It is a good idea to pay attention to the nutritional quality of the foods you're eating, but you don't need to label foods as "clean" or 'dirty", or avoid all processed foods.

Make the changes that you know you can stick to. And then, later on, if there are things about your diet that you're not comfortable with, you can make further changes, but it doesn't have to all be at once. Your profile says you're "determined to do this once and for all". In order to achieve that, you need to create a lifestyle that you can stick with long-term. Keep it simple and find what works for you.

elkahallick

Its all calories in vs calories out when trying to lose weight, but if you eat too low your body has a natural protection mode and will start storing fat because its not sure when the next meal will be... Are you tracking your food for calories?

SarahMZxx

Thank you everyone!! Decided to go with clean(ish) eating....3 meals and a couple of bits of fruit in between to keep me going xxx